Sean Nicholas Savage is somewhat of an enigma, even for a Montreal scenester who was there at every step of his evolution as an artist. From the moment he hit the underground as part of the Silly Kissers, to his first handful of genre-hopping solo records, not everyone could seize the genius and his seemingly unending torrent of inspiration, but it was sure entertaining to see him go.

About a decade later, I made my way to L.A.’s indie venue Zebulon to see what Savage was up to. I had seen him perform in so many permutations through the years, I had no idea of what to expect. Alone on stage, accompanied by an uninterrupted piano soundtrack, the freaky crooner held the audience captive.

Seeing Sean Nicholas Savage onstage confirms his place among the most magnetic divas of all time. With the grace of an acrobat, he gives everything he has, humbly grimacing at every high note, and hitting each syllable with a lynchian mix of vulnerability and obsessive determination.